Los Lonely Boys, Kris Kristofferson and More Coming Up This March at City Winery Chicago
By: BWW News Desk Feb. 20, 2017
Featured artists include folk icon Tom Paxton on March 4, the return of Kris Kristofferson on March 22, back-to-back sets from jazz piano wunderkind Joey Alexander on March 24 and back-to-back sets from '90s Seattle rock & roll band Candlebox on March 31.
March highlights also include multi-night performances with Grammy Award-winning Los Lonely Boys from March 12-13, one man band Howie Day from March 16-17, innovative Israeli singer/songwriter and global icon Idan Raichel from March 20-21 and M. Ward of She & Him and Monsters of Folk from March 27-28.
All City Winery Chicago events are open to all ages and start at 8:00 p.m., unless otherwise noted. Scroll down for details!
MARCH 2017:
The Ides of March featuring Jim Peterik
Wednesday, March 1
$28/$32/$35/$38
American rock band The Ides of March was founded in Berwyn, IL in 1964 as The Shon-Dels. By 1970, the band had a major U.S. hit "Vehicle" which became the fastest selling single in Warner Bros. Records' history. During the band's hiatus beginning in 1973, Jim Peterik co-founded the band Survivor, known for top hits including "Eye of the Tiger." The Ides of March reunited in 1990 and has been touring and performing ever since.
Thursday, March 2
$28/$30/$32/$35
Laith Al-Saadi has always had the perfect combination of Midwestern hustle and incredible musical chops - honed at the University of Michigan school of music in his hometown of Ann Arbor and on stages across the country working with legends like Taj Mahal, Luther Allison, Buddy Guy, Son Seals, Gregg Allman and B.B. King. In 2016, Al-Saadi won America's hearts and a spot in the finale of NBC's "The Voice." Now, he's poised to bring his authentic blend of blues, soul and classic rock to audiences around the world. Meet & greet tickets are available for $40.
Deacon Blues - The All-Star Tribute To Steely Dan featuring Grammy Winner Howard Levy
Friday, March 3
$25/$28/$32/$35
Deacon Blues, America's premier Steely Dan tribute experience, replicates the music that defined a decade, a nation and an entire jazz-rock genre. The 11-member collective of Chicago-area studio and stage musicians is dedicated to presenting the music of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. This stunning collective is the personification of what "The Dan" did on record - gathering top studio musicians for their albums - but for live performances. With support from legendary Chicago FM radio station personalities such as Bob Stroud ("The Drive") and Scott Mackay ("The River"), The Deacon Blues debuted their first album of original music, in a similar musical landscape as "The Dan," in 2016.
Tom Paxton featuring The DonJuans (Don Henry & Jon Vezner)
Saturday, March 4
$30/$35/$35/$40
Tom Paxton has become a voice of his generation, addressing issues of injustice and inhumanity, laying bare the absurdities of modern culture, and celebrating the most tender bonds of family, friends, and community. Paxton's song books, critically acclaimed children's books, award-winning children's recordings, and a catalog of hundreds of songs (recorded by artists from Willie Nelson to Placido Domingo to Johnny Cash), all serve to document Paxton's 45-year career. Paxton has been an integral part of the songwriting and folk music community since the early 60s Greenwich Village scene and continues to be a primary influence on today's "New Folk" performers. In describing Paxton's influence on his fellow musicians, Pete Seeger has said: "Tom's songs have a way of sneaking up on you. You find yourself humming them, whistling them, and singing a verse to a friend. Like the songs of Woody Guthrie, they're becoming part of America."
One Woman Sex & the City: A Parody on Love, Friendship & Shoes
Sunday, March 5; 2:00 p.m.
$20/$22/$25/$28
This loving tribute takes audiences through a laughter-infused version of all six seasons of the beloved show Sex & the City. TJ Dawe (director and co-creator of One Man Star Wars Trilogy, One Man Lord of the Rings and PostSecret: The Show) has comedic whirling dervish Kerry Ipema (PostSecret: The Show) bringing all the favorite characters to life as they brunch, banter, argue, support each other and swoon over men and Manolos. There will be puns, cosmopolitans and audience participation. For anyone who remembers the naked dress, the tantric sex demonstration, the Post-it note and "he's just not that into you," One Woman Sex & the City: A Parody of Love, Friendships and Shoes will remind audiences why this series and its characters stay so firmly in women's hearts and minds.
Sunday, March 5
$15/$18/$22/$25
There aren't many 23-year-old musicians that can say they've had a career that's already spanned more than a decade and there aren't many at any age that can compare resumes with Sierra Hull. She was given her first mandolin at age eight. By age 11, Alison Krauss had called with an invitation to the Opry stage; by 13, she signed a record deal with Rounder followed by her first album release at age 16. Hull has also played the White House, Carnegie Hall (twice), the Kennedy Center, traveled around the world sharing her music, and released a total of three albums. Then there's the fact that the Berklee College of Music gave her the school's most prestigious award, the Presidential Scholarship, a first for a bluegrass musician; her choice to accept it, to delay her dream of hitting the road full-time after high school in favor of expanding her musical worldview, was hardly a light one.
Tues March 7
$35/$38/$42/$45
The Texas-born, Louisiana-raised musical storyteller Marcia Ball has earned worldwide fame for her ability to ignite a full-scale roadhouse rhythm and blues party every time she strolls onto the stage. Her groove-laden New Orleans boogie, deeply soulful ballads and rollicking Gulf Coast blues have made her a one-of-a-kind favorite with music fans all over the world. The title track of her new album, The Tattooed Lady And The Alligator Man, is an irresistible tale of true love at the traveling carnival. It's a story that nobody but Ball could spin, filled with vivid details, universal truths, and a rambunctious sense of fun and desire. With raucous horns punctuating Ball's legendary piano pounding and emotional, melodic vocals, the song kicks off a CD of eleven dazzling originals and one stirring cover.
Ball's received a total of six Living Blues Awards and nine Blues Music Awards (and has a whopping 42 nominations). She's received five Grammy Award nominations, including for four of her five previous Alligator albums.
Wednesday-Thursday, March 8-9
$38/$42/$48/$52
Led by singer/guitarist Tommy Malone and accordionist John Magnie, the Subdudes draw most of their inspiration from the sounds of their native New Orleans, blending blues, gospel, funk, and R&B with their own harmony vocals; their sound is also notable for the band's substitution of a tambourine player for a drummer. The band came together after backing artists such as Joni Mitchell and Roseanne Cash and released its eponymous debut in 1989. Like the group's subsequent albums (including 1991's Lucky, 1996's Primitive Streak, and 1997's Live at Last), the Subdudes featured a mix of covers and originals. After an eight-year sabbatical, the Subdudes joined Bob Dylan guitarist Freddy Koella to produce Miracle Mule in 2004. Keb' Mo' was the producer for the band's 2006 effort, Behind the Levee, and Street Symphony followed in 2007.
Friday, March 10; 7:00 p.m.
$25/$28/$32/$35
One of the most highly regarded and sought-after Irish-American groups in Celtic music, the all-female collective Cherish the Ladies formed in the early '90s as a onetime concert band by folklorist/musician Mick Moloney. Their heady blend of stellar musicianship, breathtaking singing, and lively step dancing soon won them fans all over the world, resulting in ten critically acclaimed records, the most recent of which is 2005's Woman of the House. The group, consisting of longtime leader Joanie Madden, Mary Coogan, Heidi Talbot, Mirella Murray, and Roisin Dillon, have shared the stage and studio with such legendary performers as Joan Baez, James Taylor, the Clancy Brothers, the Chieftains, Arlo Guthrie, and Pete Seeger.
Michael McDermott's Storytellers - STREET LIVES: Tales of Mobsters, Madness and Redemption
Saturday, March 11
$25/$28/$32/$35
Michael McDermott brings his street poetry to the stage with songs of loss and redemption combined with stories by best-selling crime writer T.J. English, whose books on gangsters and the criminal underworld have set a new standard in American literature. A unique and searing night of entertainment, intermingling songs and literary vignettes from two great storytellers working in different disciplines, but with a similar take on American Dreams lost and found.
Los Lonely Boys with Sugar Dirt and Sand
Sunday-Monday, March 12-13
$40/$45/$50/$55
The Los Lonely Boys are a sibling trio (guitarist Henry Garza, bassist JoJo Garza, and drummer Ringo Garza Jr.) whose style draws equally from rock, blues, Tex-Mex, conjunto, and tejano. The brothers recorded their eponymous debut album in 2003 at Willie Nelson's Pedernales studio in Austin, with Willie himself guesting on the sessions. The album quickly won the band a large national audience. Its lead single "Heaven" became a Top 20 pop hit, reached the #1 spot on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart and eventually won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. After a prominent guest appearance on the 2005 Santana album All That I Am, Los Lonely Boys solidified their success with 2006's Sacred which brought two more Grammy nominations, 2008's Forgiven, and the holiday-themed Christmas Spirit. Meanwhile, the band continued to build its reputation as a singularly powerful live act. Their most recent album, Revelation, was released in 2014.
Chicago Jazz Orchestra - CD release show
Tuesday, March 14; 7:30 p.m.
$15/$18/$22/$25
For more than 35 years, the Chicago Jazz Orchestra has been at the forefront of presenting performances of classic American jazz orchestra repertoire to diverse audiences through reasonably priced programs held at a variety of venues. Always looking for new challenges, both in repertoire and stylistic choices, Jeff Lindberg has infused the Orchestra with a spirit of versatility that has made the group a favorite performer not only in jazz venues, but also for concert settings, receptions, and dances - just about anywhere that exceptional big band music can be presented. The Chicago Jazz Orchestra is Chicago's oldest professional jazz orchestra in continuous operation and one of the oldest jazz repertory orchestras in the country. This concert celebrates the group's new CD, released in February.
Jimmy LaFave & Gretchen Peters
Wednesday, March 15
$18/$22/$25/$28
Jimmy LaFave was born in Wills Point, Texas, a small town 30 miles east of Dallas. By junior high he was making music perched behind his Sears & Roebuck drum kit. His family later moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma and, although he has lived in Austin for over 20 years, many people think of him as being from Oklahoma because of his strong musical ties to the state and what he often refers to as its "red dirt music." It was in this landscape that he began to define his sound and soak up a combination of his experiences among authentic songwriters from the tradition of Woody Guthrie. The grass roots demand and critical acclaim for LaFave's music led to extensive touring in the United States and Europe. He is a regular performer at the annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival and has won the Austin Music Award for Best Singer-Songwriter. LaFave has recorded 19 albums to date, the most recent, The Night Tribe, was called "a thoughtful, finely nuanced album that expresses the world through the eyes and voice of a tribesman traveling the roads of earth," by Blues Magazine.
Over the last three decades, Gretchen Peters has proven to possess one of the most indelible voices in country and roots music in addition to wielding one of the genres' most enduring pens. But, in 1996, as she crossed the invisible Music City barrier between writer and performer, few could have predicted what lay ahead. She has released seven studio albums on both sides of the pond. On her 2016 album, The Essential Gretchen Peters, she combines career-defining tracks with rare outtakes, demos and B-sides to provide a two-disc snapshot of her remarkable journey as a singularly fearless and creative talent. Uncut hailed her as "one of Nashville's greatest talents of the past two decades," and in 2014, she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Thursday-Friday, March 16-17
$25/$28/$32/$35
Platinum breakout singles "Collide," "She Says" and "Be There" earned singer-songwriter Howie Day renown for his emotionally resonant lyrics and inventive melodies. He is also known for his energetic, heartfelt shows, where he connects with audiences through the strength of his songwriting and his quirky sense of humor. Playing guitar and piano, experimenting with effects pedals and loop-sampling, and layering live percussion with vocal harmonies, Day is a veritable one-man band; he performs energetic and genuine shows. After sales of over a million records and two Top 10 hits, Day is back on the road in support of his new studio album, Lanterns.
Saturday, March 18
$18/$22/$25/$28
Four-time Americana Award nominee and host of Apron Strings on Sirius XM's Outlaw Country channel, country singer Elizabeth Cook is known for her clear, beautiful voice and strong songwriting ability.
Chicago Philharmonic Brunch Series
Sunday, March 19: Mozart & Mimosas; 12:00 p.m.
$25 General Admission
This unusual presentation of Mozart and Schumann quartets is probably closer to what Mozart expected out of a concert than it might seem, given the composer's storied, raucous chamber parties and letters indicating "rapture" and "applause" in the middle of performances of his symphonies. No one is claiming this performance will be exactly like one of Mozart's day, but that doesn't mean we can't kick off our shoes and have some fun! As some of Chicago's finest classical musicians satiate your appetite for great music with these two beautiful works, enjoy delicious brunch within this gorgeous venue situated in Chicago's gastronomic West Loop.
Sunday, March 19
$28/$30/$32/$35
Ireland's Folk Band of the Year The High Kings - Finbarr Clancy, Brian Dunphy, Martin Furey and Darren Holden - showcase their incredible versatility and skills as multi-instrumentalists, playing 13 instruments between them and bringing a rousing acoustic flavor to brand new songs as well as some old favorites. Coming from accomplished musical pedigrees, The High Kings grew up in households soaked in the Irish musical tradition, and each member of the band witnessed firsthand the power of well-crafted Irish music on an audience. Their impressive 2013 album Friends for Life features tracks written by the lads and some old favorites. The High Kings continue to live up to their reputation as a phenomenal live band, serving up laughter, good times and even the odd sing along.
Idan Raichel: Pianos & Songs
Monday-Tuesday, March 20-21
$40/$48/$55/$75
Producer, keyboardist, Lyricist, composer and Performer Idan Raichel is a global music icon who has brought his inspiring example and soul-stirring music to some of the planet's biggest stages. As the leader of The Idan Raichel Project, Raichel acts as a musical ambassador representing a hopeful world in which artistic collaboration breaks down barriers between people of different backgrounds and beliefs. Over the past 13 years, Raichel has collaborated with American pop stars India.Arie, Dave Matthews and Alicia Keys, not to mention a wide range of artists who are household names in their native countries: Portugal's Ana Moura, France's Patrick Bruel, Italy's Ornella Vanoni, Germany's Andreas Scholl and Mali's Vieux Farka Touré to name but a few. The Idan Raichel Project's spectacular live show has enchanted audiences worldwide. They have headlined in some of the world's most prestigious venues, including New York's Central Park Summer Stage, Apollo Theater, Town Hall and Radio City Music Hall, Los Angeles' Kodak Theater, the Sydney Opera House, Zenith in Paris, London's Royal Albert Hall and many international festivals. They have also performed across Europe, South & Central America, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Ethiopia, South Africa, Ghana, Japan and dozens of other countries for enraptured audiences of all backgrounds. Meet & Greet tickets are available for $85.
Wednesday, March 22
$85/$100/$115/$125
Kris Kristofferson has been making things happen his entire life. Born in Texas and raised in a military family, Kristofferson achieved remarkable success as a country songwriter at the start of the 1970s. His songs "Me and Bobby McGee," "Help Me Make It Through the Night," "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down," and "For the Good Times," all chart-topping hits, helped redefine country songwriting, making it more personal and serious, much in the way that Bob Dylan's songs had transformed pop music songwriting in the mid-'60s. By 1987, it was estimated that Kristofferson's compositions had been recorded by more than 450 artists. His renown as a songwriter enabled him to launch a moderately successful career as a musical performer and that, in turn, brought him to the attention of Hollywood, leading to a lengthy career as a film actor.
Al Stewart featuring The Empty Pockets - The Year of the Cat Album Show
Thursday, March 23; 7:00 p.m.
$40/$45/$50
With the release of Uncorked, Al Stewart and musical partner Dave Nachmanoff take a trip through Stewart's musical back pages, both in terms of the musical catalogue (they did have nearly 20 albums' worth of songs to pick from), and in terms of performance style. After all, Stewart made his bones in the massively fertile folk scene that was London in the late '60s, and he numbers among his contemporaries the likes of guitar wizards Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, singer-songwriters Roy ("Hats Off To") Harper and Richard Thompson, and a former flatmate named Paul Simon, who went on to some celebrity upon returning to America.
Guests are invited to join Al Stewart for an intimate, VIP experience prior to his concert, including a Meet & Greet and wine tasting. Participants will have the chance to try three City Winery wines alongside the artist while having the opportunity to chat and ask questions. Meet & Greet wine tasting tickets are $60, not including show ticket and merchandise.
Friday, March 24; 7:00 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
$26/$28/$32/$36
Since Joey Alexander first encountered the piano at the age of six, his talent has taken the world by storm. Born on June 25, 2003 on the island of Bali, Alexander's musicianship and grasp of jazz fundamentals developed at a remarkable pace. At the age of eight, UNESCO invited Alexander to play solo piano for an elated Herbie Hancock during the piano great's visit to Indonesia. Alexander later remarked to Hancock, "You told me that you believed in me, and that was the day I decided to dedicate my childhood to jazz." His first album, at age 12, was nominated for two GRAMMY Awards.
Saturday, March 25
$25/$28/$32/$35
Singer and songwriter Rodney Crowell has released twenty albums in 4 decades, with 5 consecutive number-one hits. Crowell's work and career sets a benchmark for commercial success and lifelong artistic ambition and integrity in country music. His compositions, including "Til I Gain Control Again," "I Ain't Livin' Long Like This," "Song For The Life" and "Ashes By Now" have been widely and successfully covered by legendary singers. But he led the way as a recording artist, achieving a dazzling run of radio hits in the 1980s, followed by a series of more personal albums in the 2000s that secured his place as much more than a chart topper. His honors include two Grammys (one in 1990 for Best Country Song for the song "After All This Time" and one in 2014 Best Americana Album for his album Old Yellow Moon), an ASCAP lifetime achievement award, and membership in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He played guitar and sang for three years in Emmylou Harris' Hot Band. He's also known for his marriage and professional partnership with Johnny Cash's daughter, Rosanne Cash, from 1979 to 1992. Crowell released his memoir, Chinaberry Sidewalks, in 2011.
Sunday, March 26
$45/$55/$60/$65
Jim Messina was a member of the folk-rock group Buffalo Springfield, a founding member of the country rock pioneer Poco and half of the soft rock duo Loggins & Messina with Kenny Loggins. Messina began learning guitar at the age of 5. He was influenced by the guitar parts and sounds heard in early Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson records. As he got older, his California roots led him to early '60s surf music and a fascination with the guitar sounds of early surf/rock groups like Dick Dale and the DelTones and the Champs. When Jim was only 17 and a senior in high school, he was asked by a local deejay who had heard him play to assemble a band and produce albums on two new artists. Unsure just what producing even meant, Messina knew that he knew music and he readily accepted the offer. In addition to his performing career, Messina has been an engineer at Hollywood's famed Sunset Sound, working with superstars-to-be, including The Doors, Lee Michaels, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass and, later, Buffalo Springfield. Messina also has had his own solo career with multiple albums.
Monday-Tuesday, March 27-28
$35/$40/$45/$55
Matthew Stephen "M." Ward is a singer-songwriter and guitarist from Portland, Oregon. Ward's solo work is mixture of folk and blues-inspired Americana analog recordings, releasing eight albums since 1999, primarily through independent label Merge Records. In addition to his solo work, Ward is a member of pop duo She & Him and folk-rock supergroup Monsters of Folk, as well as participating in the recording, producing, and playing with multiple other artists.
The Cold Hard Cash Show
Wednesday, March 29
$10/$12/$15/$18
The Cold Hard Cash Show is an original and innovative tribute to the music of Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Three. Fronted by guitarist and singer Merle Travis Peterson, The Cold Hard Cash Show brings to life classic Cash songs from the Sun & Columbia Records Catalogs to the modern American recordings, performing with the energy of the Live at Folsom and San Quentin albums with a sound so accurate you'd think you're listening to The Man in Black himself.
Thursday, March 30
$20/$25/$30/$35
The Shades are a Chicago-based trio consisting of Andrew DeMuro (from Season 11 of "The Voice") and brothers Phil & Mark Jacobson. Equipped primarily with their voices and acoustic guitars, they've developed a Signature Sound that encompasses elements of pop/rock, folk, soul and R&B. Impressive arrangements and close harmonies are the hallmarks of The Shades' music. In 2015, they were chosen as Top 10 finalists in NewSong Music's International Songwriting Competition. They've also had the fortune to grace a variety of Chicago's stages, including House of Blues, Schubas Tavern and Navy Pier. 2017 will be a monumental year for the band as they'll release their debut EP Miles Made of Inches. The Shades are joined by BrenDan Fletcher, a recent semi-finalist on "The Voice."
Friday, March 31; 8:00 and 10:30 p.m.
$25/$28/$32/$35
Formed in Seattle in 1991, Candlebox went quadruple platinum with their 1993 self-titled debut and released two more acclaimed and top-selling albums (1995's Lucy and 1998's Happy Pills) before going on a hiatus in 2000. Candlebox regrouped with a 2006 tour, then put out Into the Sun in 2008, followed by 2012's Love Stories & Other Musings. The band's most recent release, For Disappearing in Airports, which, at this record's core, is a recommitment to creating music that is "pissed and urgent" as well as bringing a new energy to the live show. Candlebox remains one of the most highly requested and played groups on radio, including the band's mega hits "Far Behind" and "You." Their City Winery Chicago set features intimate acoustic duo performances.
All City Winery Chicago events are open to all ages and start at 8pm, unless noted. To purchase concert tickets or for more information on becoming a VinoFile member, please call (312) 733-WINE (9463) or visit www.citywinery.com/chicago.
Opened in 2012, City Winery Chicago is a fully operational winery, restaurant with outdoor patio, concert hall and private event space located in the heart of the West Loop at 1200 W. Randolph, in the historic urban Fulton Market district. Once a refrigerated food distribution warehouse, the 1911 building has been transformed into a contemporary 33,000 square foot haven for those passionate about wine, music and culinary arts. The décor evokes the romance of being in wine country, from the exposed stainless steel fermenting tanks and French oak barrels, to the aroma of fermenting grapes. Chicago's only fully operation winery has produced dozens of in-house wines sourced from vineyards in California, Oregon, Washington, Argentina and Chile, including a Wine Enthusiast 90-point 2012 Bien Nacido Vineyard Reserve pinot noir. With more than 400 unique producers from around the world City Winery is recognized with 2014 and 2015 Best of Awards of Excellence "for having one of the most outstanding restaurant wine lists in the world" by Wine Spectator. The globally inspired, locally sourced, wine-focused food menu is conceived for pairing and sharing. The concert hall accommodates up to 300 guests, all seated at tables with complete beverage and dining service, ensuring a comfortable "listening room" experience enhanced by a state-of-the-art Meyer Sound system. Riedel is the official and exclusive provider of glassware, showing City Winery's commitment to enjoying quality wine in a quality vessel. American Airlines is the Official Airline and Virgin Hotels Chicago is the Official Hotel of City Winery. For more information, visit www.citywinery.com.
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